Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-05-20
THE STAY-AT-HOME.
A SOUTHERN SKETCH.

Everybody knew where Daycnport's
was, and everybody m de pilgrimagcs to
it in the hour of need. No matter
whether the need took the form of
spool Of sewing silk or iron castings for
gin stands--somewhcre among Davea-
ports Heterogeneous stool, it was sure to
be fouad. I'D tycnporto sportcd no
sign. 1t was proudly independent Of
any such Fictitious aids Of prominence.
As well label the country court house IS
plaster sign on D venports time hon
ored front There was but one court
house and one Davonport's and honors
we're easy between them in Slowvile.
Furthermore (apropos OF a sign), human
ingenuity would have been staggered to
compose any inscription for u sign that
would have been mcasurably descrip-
tive Of the OLA podrida on Davenport's
shelves.
Mail day was Davenport's harvest day
but matters within the store must be
pressing indeed to force Davenport him
self behind the counter lie looked
curously out of place weighing plug to-
bacco or drawing a quart of black mo-
lasses in payment for a dozen eggs.
There was totally irrcconciliab'e in
congruty between him and his sur
roundings, He had the build of an
athlete, and was ono, without any scien-
tfic training. His head, supcrbly
shaped, and set squarey on columnar
throat. was covered thiclly with yei-
low mass of short curls, and his chin
with long silky beard of the same col.
or. His eyes were blue and bright an
penetrating. A pure Saxon type
Ip@venporta with general -sse-se>
Of great physical strength and deIibH
ata purpose about him. Il the gray
store with its assured income had not
come to him by inheritance, doubtless he
would have done something with himself
in the world. AS it was, he shirked the
tobacco box and the molasscs barre
whenever practicable, and in the long
summer days, when there was not mucf
doing, he read Keats and Coleridge will
oblivious delight on the long store gal
lery, fighting flies with one hand al th'
while. He had never been away from
home to school, couldn't be spared fror
the store" lie hal grown up in it, bu
has never grown into it. Hidden some
where in that muscular organism Of hi
was dumb unsatsfcd longing for bel
ter things to dc and to be than fate ha
o far accorded him When the w'
lrokc out it was with an envious pan
lie saw other fellows SO off to the fl I'D
He would have loved TO 90 with then
but looking his duty squarely in Il
face by the best light he had, the
seemed to be stronger call to stay
home. lie grew into a monster in,loc
estimation. His staying out of the arm
had secured him the contempt Of Il
neighborhood; his busy, earn st specl
lation excited its disgust and horro
Even in the little house behind Il
pomearanate bushes there were clou
and distrast Dayenports wife was
longer proud Of him. She hung Ii
head for him, and ne knew it-kncw
and WINGED under it silently, al
thought euviou3'y Of the men who we
off with the army, fl ihting and bel
wounded. lie would gladly have c
changed his wound for theirs.
When the river was blockaded and
the country On both sides of the Miss
sippi, from VIcksburg to New OrIeal
was virtually in stage of siege, peo.
said: "Now Davcnports hour Of trium
had come" and those who had b.
most open in denouncing him recall
their rash words regrctfully. What Il
had said was all true, of course, but
had better been left unsaid, for in
the country nowhere but at Davcnpo
were medicines, or sugar, and tea,
meal, and everything that went to S
tain life to be procured. The grint
ceased grinding and the great mill VIII
stood motionless. The ungathered CT
stood in the fields, at the mercy of !
rauding cattle. A universal palal
seized upon the land. Paliid-fa
women asked, What nex0
Yes, Davenport's hour Of triumph
comel He did not call it his hou
triumph. lie simply said that
befallen which he had known
along must come. Then, ja
iously, wisely, patiently, he
. gan his ministrations, melting out
fort Of material sort with the
impartiality Of Judge on the be
and the patient tenderness of a 10
vearning over his suffering brett
Nothing that led to the relief of n
sity was too remote for his acute {
q of the situation, nothing too minute
"a secure his attention. Without prie
~ gave UP his boarded substance, and
after white sugar became luxury
costly for consumption on the tabl
thu little white cottage, Randolph
fa&'s wife had it On hers. There
noer No one IA halu him hear tho